Deeplinks Blog posts about PATRIOT Act

Today's Washington Post contains a shocking (and breathtakingly thorough) investigative piece, worth reading in its entirety, which reveals how the FBI has been using its surveillance powers—greatly expanded under the USA PATRIOT Act—even more aggressively than we feared:

The FBI now issues more than 30,000 national security letters a year, according to government sources, a hundredfold increase over historic norms. The letters—one of which can be used to sweep up the records of many people—are extending the bureau's reach as never before into the telephone calls, correspondence and financial lives of ordinary Americans.

Apologists justified the broad, civil-liberties corroding powers granted to the government under the USA PATRIOT Act by arguing that they would be used to put terrorists behind bars. Yet several provisions can be used against Americans in a wide range of investigations that have nothing to do with terrorism. Others are too vague, jeopardizing legitimate activities protected under the First Amendment. Worse, the Department of Justice has worked to expand and/or make permanent a number of these provisions -- despite the fact that they were sold to the public as "temporary" measures and are scheduled to expire, or "sunset," in December of 2005.

Periodically in our EFFector newsletter, we profile one of the 16 provisions scheduled to sunset and explain in plain language what's wrong with the provision and why Congress should allow it to expire.

Last Friday night, the Senate unexpectedly and unanimously passed a bill renewing the parts of the USA PATRIOT Act set to expire at the end of the year. The House already passed a similar bill on July 21st, so the only step left is a conference for the House and Senate to resolve any differences. The President is then expected to sign the bill into law on September 11, 2005.

Here's where you come in. With PATRIOT renewal now a certainty, the priority is to make sure the final bill looks more like the Senate than the House version -- that is, to ensure that it contains as many checks and balances to protect your privacy and civil liberties as possible.

In May, EFF reported on the stealth attempt to expand the PATRIOT Act. That attempt continues, despite the public outcry. In an editorial published today, The New York Times slams the FBI's continued pursuit of dangerous, unnecessary subpoena powers:

The Senate Intelligence Committee failed yesterday to reach agreement on the stealth PATRIOT expansion bill that would give the FBI expanded power to dig through the private records of people who aren't accused of any wrongdoing. The New York Times has the scoop (reg. req.), including a choice quote from Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR):

"The committee met in private for two and a half hours amid continuing complaints from civil liberties advocates and some Democrats that the proposal would give federal investigators too much power to conduct 'fishing expeditions' in pursuing terrorism leads. Senate Republican leaders and the Bush administration, who are backing the proposal, say it provides the F.B.I. with essential tools in fighting terrorism.